Shopping

It is just me, or do the weeks seem to just fly by? Here it is already Sunday evening. Are you ready for some football? To all of our Bronco fans, season opener in the Mile High City tonight. I can't even tell you who we are playing. None the less time to share my Denver Bronco Pride.

Heather and the boys were up this week end. It has become a tradition to go to a small private nursery that specializes in miniature plants, alpine plants, succulents, and pine trees. Come along with me as we build a little rock garden for Mosaic Monday at Lavender Cottage.

The shopping spree was a family affair with all 5 grandchildren, both daughters, even grandpa, and a naked Rapunzel doll.



Our first stop is always the hen house to view the nice assortment of laying hens. The hens are really hard to photograph through the fence, but I love the black ones. They are an iridescent black which makes them glow that neon green in the sunlight.



We talked turkey, too, as we wondered around the yard. It is a small place with the green houses, potting shed, a large vegetable garden and several raised beds of very young pines. (no photo). So it is a compact garden with so much to see.

 Time to get down to business. Heather's friend Karen who propagates the plants, gave the girls a cart, to haul the plants, flats to carry them home in, and a clipboard and pencil to write name tags for each plant since only one plant in each growing flat is labeled.

They have the neatest dog that loves to play with the kids.

Now, down to some serious shopping.





It really is cool to see the little succulents all lined up neat and pretty. Karen supplies High Country Gardens and local nurseries with her plant material. Since it is the end of the growing season, the green houses are pretty bare.



The rock garden in the center of yard provides lots of inspiration and good ideas. I love this globe blue spruce.



Heather and Karen can spend hours talking plants. Some women love shopping for shoes. Heather loves her plants.

The blue spruce is Colorado's state tree, a tree that I love. Look at this cute little tree. I'd love to take it home with me.



Time to tally up. Guess who writes the check?



Not all of our plants that we chose. These are what the girls chose. Karen threw in a couple of free ones. Did you know that when a Hen and Chick blooms, the hen that blooms, dies? So Lucy got a freebie. But Aunt Heather says that if you cut off the bloom, the hen lives. (Lucy calls it peeps and chick)

So here it is. Our rock garden. We will add more each year as we make our annual visit. I wish I could remember the name of the little nursery in the middle of town, but Karen only deals with very special clients and Heather has made an effort to nurture her friendship, but if you go to the Denver Botanical Plant Sale next spring, you will probably meet Karen there. Stop and say "hi"; she's a sweet lady.

Meanwhile, back at the Garden Spot. We have the sweetest little neighbor boys 4 and 6 who come visit all the time. They like to pick flowers from the garden to make their momma happy. You can see that their favorite one is the rudbeckia in the center garden. The other day little Bobby came by to tell me that my flowers were dying. He was so concerned, so we went out to see just what the problem was, and indeed their favorite flower is dying. I explained that they will dry up, make seeds, spread those seeds all over and be more beautiful flowers next summer. He liked that answer.

Hopefully the point of the center garden will fill in nicely. The grasses are really gaining some size, finally.

There's a bear spot on the burm since Heather and the Head Gardener took a saw to the dead pine tree.

A ponderosa pine, just like this one, that just plain died. No reason. Just died. We will clean out the root ball and seed it to grass.

The fairy garden is all grown over. The decorative strawberry that I planted last year as ground cover has gone to town  filling in just as I wanted, but but the fairies and the gnomes are no longer visible. I may have to come up a new location next spring.

The weather is warm, but mild with threats of rain in the afternoons. Corn harvest will start soon. I love summer and hate saying good-bye, but I am ready for Jack Frost arrive to shut down the garden. I am done. What about you?

Have a fabulous week. Not sure what I will be doing this week, but for sure I will be visiting you. Thanks so much taking time to visit.